About Me

Thursday, January 2, 2014

A new year, new life changes

Life has been crazy once again. I spend a great deal of time with my youngest grand baby and in mid December I decided I have to move. Don't get me wrong, I love where I have been living for the last 6 months but the fact is I cannot afford it. Matter of fact I have finally realized I can not afford to live anywhere on the amount of disability income I get each month. So, after a good amount of thought I gave my landlord notice that I had to move. I am going to once again try to share a home with my daughter and see if we can help each other get on our feet. My dog Alex has been staying with my daughter for almost 2 weeks now anyway. The night after Christmas we had to rush my mom to the hospital, she had a rather serious case of pneumonia. My mom is a stubborn woman, does not like to bother people, does not want anyone to have to take care of my dad who cannot be alone, an amputee with very poor health, so she tends to suffer in silence until there is a really major problem. I am so very thankful my brother and I decided we have to check up on her because if we had not we may very well have lost her within 24 hours. So instead of being at home packing I have been babysitting my dad so my mom would stay put.

I am working like a crazy woman to get this move done this weekend. Monday ends my vacation from school so I want to be ready to sit and apply myself to my schoolwork. I also have been doing a lot of thinking about my Etsy shop. The sad fact is if I could improve sales just a little bit, I would have that extra bit of money to make ends meet. So I started doing some research. Here is what I came up with: My sequined ornaments sell twice as often as my beadwork. That tells me I have to concentrate more on my ornament work. My beadwork? Well I have a certain loyal following that purchases my amulet bags, thank goodness for that because I would never be able to give up making them. But that said I have to start making a lot more other things than the amulet bags and I think it is time to start putting the time into doing some of the more funky beadwork I enjoy that also commandeers a bit higher price point.

I was also recently was contacted by a friend. Her fiancé owns a woodworking business, does kitchen cabinets and that type of thing. They are in the process of building a new workshop and adding a gift shop besides. She has asked to carry a line of my jewelry. It would be on consignment but she is a person I trust completely, she has sold work for me before on consignment and has never let me down.

So I do have a full plate setting in front of me just waiting for me to take advantage and work for it. This is exactly what I shall do because it is time for my life to change and I only I can make it happen.